Blake Griffin to enter NBA draft

NORMAN, Okla., April 7 (UPI) -- Oklahoma sophomore forward Blake Griffin, the consensus collegiate player of the year, said Tuesday he was submitting his name for the NBA draft.

Griffin won the Oscar Robertson Trophy from the U.S. Basketball Writers and the Naismith Trophy from the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Both honor the collegiate player of the year. He is considered a strong possibility to be the first player taken in this summer's NBA draft.

"It's tough to walk away from something like this but at the same time, it's a big opportunity and I felt like I was ready for it this year," Griffin said at a news conference attended by Sooners Coach Jeff Capel.

Griffin, a 20-year-old, 6-foot-10-inch forward, led the nation in rebounding (14.4 per game) and the Big 12 Conference in scoring, with an average of 22.7 points a game. Griffin led the Sooners with 41 blocked shots and was third in assists, amassing 80.

Oklahoma was 30-6 in this season, with Griffin the main reason for the team's success. The Sooners advanced to the NCAA tournament regional finals, where they lost to eventual champion North Carolina.